Implantable cardiac assist device with a phased electrode array

An implantable cardiac massage apparatus for providing assistance to a heart having an apex and a base, the apparatus comprising:

• a chamber array, wherein the chamber array comprises elastic Bourdon tubes, the array comprising a series of spaced-apart, fluidically coupled chambers the array having fluid input and output ports, and the chambers defining an inside surface which closely conforms to the external surface of a heart and;
• pressure regulator means, the pressure regulator means being fluidly coupled to the array input port and output port, the pressure regulator means also being fluidically coupled to;
• pump means, the pump means and the pressure regulator means being electronically coupled to;
• controller means, the controller means being adapted to actuate the pump means and the pressure regulator means so that fluid is pumped by the pump means to the input port and the pressure regulator means intermittently inflates and deflates the chambers starting at the apex of the heart to create a rhythmic message of the heart from its apex to its base thereby substantially imitating the natural contraction of the heart, the controller means being further adapted to receive sensor information input from a cardiac activity/sensor means;
• a phased electrode array comprising a series of electrodes, the electrodes in contact with the heart and capable of providing electronic stimulation to the heart;
• a phased electrode array controller means, the phased electrode array controller means being adapted to control the discharge of electrical stimulation of the phased electrode array;
• and
• wherein the cardiac activity/sensor means, the cardiac activity/sensor means being adapted to sense cardiac activity and input sensor information to the controller means and to input sensor information to the phased electrode array controller means.

An implantable cardiac massage apparatus for providing assistance to a heart having an apex and a base, the apparatus comprising:

• a helically wound tubing formed into an array, the array having a fluid input port located near the apex of the heart and a fluid output port located near the base of the heart, and the array defining an inside surface which closely conforms to the external surface of a heart and;
• pressure regulator means, the pressure regulator means being fluidly coupled to the array input port and output port, the pressure regulator means also being fluidically coupled to;
• pump means, the pump means and the pressure regulator means being electronically coupled to;
• controller means, the controller means being adapted to actuate the pump means and the pressure regulator means so that fluid is pumped substantially continuously by the pump means to the input port and the pressure regulator means intermittently inflates and deflates the helically wound tubing starting at the apex of the heart to create a rhythmic message of the heart from its apex to its base thereby substantially imitating the natural contraction of the heart, the controller means being further adapted to receive sensor information input from a cardiac activity/sensor means;
• a phased electrode array comprising a series of electrodes, the electrodes in contact with the heart and capable of providing electronic stimulation to the heart;
• a phased electrode array controller means, the phased electrode array controller means being adapted to control the discharge of electrical stimulation of the phased electrode array;
• and
• wherein the cardiac activity/sensor means, the cardiac activity/sensor means being adapted to sense cardiac activity and input sensor information to the controller means and to input sensor information to the phased electrode array controller means.